RVs Kick Off the Sport Class!

Wednesday morning was a last chance for qualifying for most of the classes at the Reno Air Races, and the first heat races commenced after noon. Unfortunately, building winds forced postponement of the Formula 1 and Biplane rounds - but after a heat of T-6s, the Sport Class took to the sky with the Medallion Heat - populated entirely by RVs. Racing on the shorter course, they gave a great show, highly visible to the crowd all the way around, and there were several notable passes to add excitement.

Although Dan West finished first on the course, he was assessed a 16 second penalty for a pylon cut on lap 8, and Skylor Piper took first with a speed of 211 mph. The field was comprised of five RV-8s, two RV-7s, and two RV-4s - all "daily drivers" for their owners and pilots - proving that you don't need a dedicated race plane to enjoy racing at Reno.

Thursday races will feature heats in all classes, and with calming winds and warming temperatures, we expect t see good racing and fast lap times. Sport Class will feature homebuilts of all types and speeds that rival those of many aircraft in the Unlimited category.

Paul Dye, Kitplanes® Editor in Chief, retired as a Lead Flight Director for NASA’s Human Space Flight program, with 40 years of aerospace experience on everything from Cubs to the space shuttle. An avid homebuilder, he began flying and working on airplanes as a teen, and has experience with a wide range of construction techniques and materials. He flies an RV-8 that he built, an RV-3 that he built with his pilot wife, as well as a Dream Tundra they completed. Currently, they are building a Xenos motorglider. A commercially licensed pilot, he has logged over 5000 hours in many different types of aircraft and is an A&P, EAA Tech Counselor, and Flight Advisor, as well as a member of the Homebuilder’s Council. He consults and collaborates in aerospace operations and flight-testing projects across the country.